Fuel costs steer trucking toward quality control

Dec 07, 2007 | 06:46 AM | Maria Guzzo

There are three big issues in the trucking industry these days "Fuel, fuel and fuel," says Rob Winnick, executive vice president of business development at KTI Transportation Inc., a third-party logistics provider in Richfield, Minn.

Winnick and other panel members at AMM's second annual Moving Metals Conference in Atlanta said that costs facing the trucking industry—with fuel prices and employee turnover being the most expensive—are driving higher. "We are in unforeseen areas here," he said. "A lot of (smaller) trucking companies aren't around anymore. Small carriers don't exist because of these costs."

Metal companies could easily reduce their costs by being flexible about pickup and delivery dates and by being careful about the detail in their loads and deliveries, Winnick said. "Get the correct address," he said. "It's the simple things that end up costing money."....